1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates a cargo tray adapted to be pivotally mounted to a seatback for movement between a stored mode and an operative mode.
2. Discussion
Automotive vehicles, such as minivans, vans, station wagons, sport utility vehicles and the like, are often purchased for their carrying capacity. This carrying capacity includes both the transportation of passengers and the transportation of various sizes and amounts of cargo. For this reason, many of these vehicles are provided with one or more retractable seats which enable increased storage capacity when there is a limited number of passengers.
To satisfy the conflicting goals of maximizing passenger and cargo capacity, it is known to provide a motor vehicle with a removable seat assembly. For example, many current minivans are equipped with a rear bench seat that can be articulated to a folded position or removed from the vehicle in order to increase cargo capacity. While such arrangements have proven to be commercially successful, they are associated with inherent disadvantages. For example, the weight and awkwardness of the vehicle seat often require two persons for removal. Additionally, if the seat assembly is removed from the vehicle, it is not always convenient to store it. Furthermore, storage space is limited to a single tier.
In view of known prior constructions, it remains desirable to provide a cargo tray for a motor vehicle which overcomes the above-noted disadvantages.